Inside a simple-looking wooden farmhouse, wooden mugs full of ale tapped together as a small group of three clinked cups, causing foam to slosh out onto the table they sat at.
"To the fallen." A mountain of a man with a bald head called out.
"To the fallen." A good-looking man and woman couple called out in return as they pulled their mugs out, the trio taking large gulps.
"Marcus Darklight and Valeria Bloom, not two people I would've ever thought would end up together in a million years." The older bald-headed man said as he looked at the pair who leaned in close to each other.
"I would've never thought the famed General Ajax of the Red Legion would've become a village head. Sorry, I forgot it's the Bloody Legion now, isn't it." The good-looking man called Marcus replied, smiling as he set his drink down.
"After that final battle, we were all due for a change. I'm glad something good came of it, and you two got together. I was happy to see you both left standing at the end." Ajax said as he took another large swig and set his mug down, letting out an enormous belch.
"The king might have given you a noble title and a village, but I'm glad to see you're still as common as muck like the rest of us," Valeria said as she laughed into her mug.
"I'll never change from what I am. I was born common and will die common, but I'm happy for the land. It means we're all together in a place we can call home. With you arriving here, that makes most of us now." Ajax said, a small smile breaking out on his rough face.
"An entire village of ex-legionaries and their families. I pity any bandit group that tries to raid this place." Marcus said with a laugh as he grabbed some dry meat from the table and took a bit.
"We're about as distant as we can get from the capital. I would be surprised if we even run into bandits out here. It seems that the king wanted me gone and away from the affairs of Lycia, so they sent us out to the untamed West. Still, probably for the best, the war with Nereyda is ongoing, and our legion is too political to have getting involved now." Ajax said as he rubbed the top of his head with a massive hand.
"We fought for three days and nights when our fort should have fallen after half a day at most, and they reward us by sending us into exile in all but name out here. We even routed an elite from Nereyda and sent their standards back to the capital as battle honours, and this is how they treat us." Valeria said, setting her mug down hard, causing some of it to splash over her long, dark red hair.
"Politics. Waging war is much easier. At least you know who your enemies are." Ajax spat, his voice laced with contempt.
"Well, you nearly cut the head off the king's brother. That probably didn't help our cause much." Marcus said, getting a laugh from the others as he swigged down more ale.
"That coward had it coming. There's no way he didn't get our message. Arriving three days after when it should have been a day at the most. What's the point in having reserve forces if a useless piece of shit like that is commanding them? I'm still not convinced he wasn't in league with Nereyda." Ajax said, his voice raising and gulping down more ale as his face flushed red.
"I would've got the sack of dung if he didn't step back quick enough. The spineless fool knows when to retreat, just not when to advance."
"I bet the look on his face when he arrived to find the mounds of bodies piled up at our still-manned walls was priceless," Marcus said with a smile as if imagining the thought.
"Well, Nereyda attacked us with overwhelming force. They just didn't count on us having a say in the matter. I heard their king was furious, and heads rolled." Ajax replied with a little grin that looked more like an angry grimace.
"Still, the real miracle is someone willing to take in Marcus. How did that even happen? You weren't even in the same unit."
"Well, you should know you assigned our positions on the wall. I guess fighting side by side and saving each other's lives leads to love; besides, he isn't that bad." Valeria said as she laughed at the offended look on Marcus' face.
"I've fought alongside plenty of men in life and death situations. I don't remember falling in love with them." Ajax muttered as he poured more ale from a clay jug on the table.
"That's a shame. It would have made for a good love story. We could've hired a bard. 'General Ajax, The Sword-Crossed Lover' has a good ring to it." Marcus laughed, swigging more beer, only to spill it all over himself as he unsuccessfully dodged a projectile that hit him in the side of the head.
"You should channel more effort into breaking through and leave the songwriting to someone else. Also, it might have been a good name if I didn't use a hammer, you twit." The General said with a tug at his lips as he lowered his arm, the piece of meat he was just eating now sliding down a shocked face.
"I'll break through in the next few years. There's no rush now, so I can take my time." Marcus said as he peeled the food from his face and placed it on the table.
"Marcus isn't wrong, though. When are you going to find someone to settle down with? Man or woman..."
"Or beast", Marcus cut in with a smile, deflecting another projectile thrown his way with a tentacle of darkness that came out from his shadow.
"It's not like we care, and nothing is holding you back now," Valeria said, giving Marcus a dirty side glance as she looked at the humongous man sitting across from her with a warm smile.
"I'll think about it," Ajax said noncommittally.
"When are you both going to become parents?"
"We are trying... a lot. So, who knows?" Marcus replied, receiving an elbow in the side of his ribs.
"Well, on that note, I will leave you both to it. I should head back into the village. Things to do." The General said with a laugh as he downed his ale and rose, heading to the door with heavy footfalls.
The pair saw the man the short distance to the door and said their goodbyes.
Tonight, they stayed up late, drinking a little more of their homemade alcohol and chatting for hours before eventually moving to the bedroom with a renewed attempt to make a child. Exhausted by the effort, they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.
That's why when Valeria woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a baby's cries, she almost believed she was dreaming until the fog caused by the earlier wine dissipated, leaving her in a state of confusion. Rolling over and looking at Marcus, who was fast asleep and snoring softly, she nudged him gently a few times and then thumped him when her lighter touch yielded no response.
"Wha... What's up?" Marcus questioned, abruptly sitting upright with his hand reaching for the dagger on his bedside cabinet.
He surveyed his surroundings, a violent expression quickly crossing his masculine face until he realised where he was.
"Can you not hear that?" Valeria said as she swung her legs off the right side of the bed before getting up and putting on an oversized fur coat hanging from a wooden hook on the nearby wall.
Sitting still momentarily, Marcus strained his hearing, listening for what had spooked his wife. When he couldn't hear anything, he was just about to ask what had woken her when the renewed cry of a baby hit his ears.
"A child crying. Who would be out here with an infant this time of night?" He wondered, trying to think who would be so stupid to be outside the village with a child when it was dark outside.
"I don't know. It sounds like a baby, and no one in the village has even given birth to one in a while. No one is even pregnant with a child that I know of." She said in confusion as she pulled two daggers out of her robe and moved towards the bedroom door.
"Could it be some of the guys playing a prank?" Marcus asked as his naked form slid into a large, dirty brown overall that looked to have seen better days.
He also headed towards the door, a step behind his wife, dagger in hand.
"It would be a poor choice of a joke. Everyone knows how long we have been trying for a child," she snapped while turning to glare at him with a look that promised violence and retribution if it was one of the other villagers behind this.
"Well, let's just go and find out. No need to be hasty." He soothed as he gestured for restraint with his free hand.
"Could be bandits trying to lure us out of the house, maybe?" he asked with a hint of anticipation.
They stepped carefully through their bedroom door into the house's main room that held their kitchen and sitting area.
Looking around the room lit by a dim ember glow from the dying fireplace for threats and seeing none, he stepped over to the wall separating their bedroom from the main room.
Moving the dagger to his left hand, he reached out with his right, effortlessly taking hold of a heavy-looking twin blade that rested on top of some wooden brackets attached to the wall.
"Really?" Valeria said, raising an eyebrow and shaking her head at his choice of weapon.
"What? If I'm killing bandits tonight, I might as well have some fun while doing it. Besides, the old girl hasn't had any action recently." He said, looking down lovingly at the dual-bladed weapon now held upright in his right hand as he stroked it gently.
The weapon was made up of a very dark, thin wooden handle in the middle that was roughly the length of his forearm. This middle section extended slightly where the handle met the long silver blades on either side.
The razor-sharp blades were each over twice as long as the handle and developed into sharp points. It was as if someone had joined two swords, pommel to pommel, and removed the crossguards. The weapon was adorned with black and silver contrasting runes, perfectly matching the aesthetics of the silver blades and nearly black handle.
Seeing that his wife had placed a bow and arrows on the table within reach nearby, he nodded and stepped in front of the door. As he stood, he turned so his left side faced the door.
With the dagger in a reverse grip in his left hand, he raised his arm across his front at shoulder level. Moving the twinblade, the flat side resting on his left elbow, he bent his legs, ready to thrust forward or move in any direction as needed.
Whilst he was doing this, Valeria moved to the side of the door, placing one of the daggers into the belt of her robe. She reached over with her free hand, undoing the twist lock, and gripped the door handle tightly.
The sound of the crying child continued throughout all these preparations but had now started to grow weaker on the other side of the door.
With a look at Marcus, who nodded, she yanked the door open quickly and moved to peer around it, slamming it against the wall and using her left foot to jam it. They both looked into the night before setting their sights on the small crying form at the foot of their door.
"Baby," Marcus said, unmoving, his cheerful attitude gone, replaced by the cool-headed unit leader of the bloody legion.
"I'll step out and cover. You get the child." He ordered before slowly walking out onto the porch, careful not to trod on the small wrapped form at his feet.
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His head tracked the surrounding farmland for threats like a diligent sentry as his wife moved behind him to secure the child.
"Done," she said in a clear voice as she moved over, placing her daggers away and reaching down to scoop up the child.
She quickly stepped back into the doorway and to the side, keeping the door open for Marcus.
Upon hearing her words, he promptly marched backwards, facing the front with the same stance.
Once he was through the doorway and there was enough room to close the door, Valeria slammed it shut with her left hand and clutched the bundle in her right as she set the lock.
Seeing that everything was secure, Marcus stood up straighter, out of his combat stance, and set the twin blade down on the table next to the bow and arrows but kept hold of the dagger.
"It's a baby, Marcus. Look." Valeria said, the pitch in her voice rising a little as she pulled the expensive-looking fabric down and turned the bundle to face him.
As she did so, a small metallic square fell out and bounced across the wooden floor, landing at Marcus' feet.
They momentarily tensed up before realising something had fallen out of the bundle. Marcus bent down to pick it up.
"What is it?" Valeria asked with curiosity lacing her voice as she watched him pick it up and start to inspect it.
"It looks like a nameplate with 'Athanatos Keraunos' written on it. I don't think anyone in the village has that last name. Do we know anyone with that family name?" He said, perplexed, as he turned the square over a few times, ensuring he got everything.
"No, I don't think we do," she said, equally confused. The baby, now no longer crying, started making tiny coughing noises.
"He doesn't look well, Marcus. He isn't crying anymore and seems to be struggling to breathe." She said, a look of worry on her face as she moved closer so he could see the child.
"Sit in front of the fireplace. Maybe he has caught a chill from being left outside. I'll put a few more logs on." He said, letting her sit on a chair he pulled from the table and placed next to the fireplace.
He threw some firewood into it as she sat down, saying soothing words to the child as the fire cackled loudly with the added fuel.
"We should have some milk. I'll get that out and head over to Anton's house, and you can try to see if he will drink any. Anton can come over and take a look at him. Wait, it is a boy, right? I doubt anyone would call a girl Athanatos." He said, mumbling the last bit as if a little unsure.
He headed over to the storage cabinet buried in the corner of the house and reached down, producing a brown clay jug of milk, which he placed on the table next to his wife, along with a large bowl.
"It's a boy, but he doesn't seem well, Marcus. Hurry up." She stressed, trying to wrap the baby tighter as she scooted the chair closer to the fireplace.
Marcus strode over to the front door, grabbing his weapons from the table as he walked past and opened the lock on the door.
"Lock the door behind me," he ordered as he stepped outside, putting his bare feet into an empty pair of work boots that he kept out on the porch to avoid bringing mud into the house.
He quickly fastened them up before sprinting rapidly across the farm, heading down a worn path towards a village in the distance.
As he sprinted down the path, he left the well-lit area the glow lamps provided attached to spaced-out posts he had filled earlier and into the darkness of the night, seeing the brightly lit walls ahead.
The path from the farm to the village was a patch of inky darkness that he would have to traverse to reach the village gate.
Sprinting hard, he heard high-pitched clicking noises coming up ahead from the side of the road.
A black mass of teeth and hardened carapace came barreling out of the darkness towards his face with bat-like wings and sharp-clawed feet outstretched.
Without stopping, he quickly raised his blade with both hands and swung it down hard, allowing his body to follow the downward motion of the slice.
His feet kicked up and left the ground, performing a forward side flip, keeping his head level with his feet the entire time as he rotated forward like a sawblade.
The weapon continued down, slicing the creature cleanly in two as he nimbly moved through the air. The gory insides of the monster missed him entirely as he slipped over the top of the bisected corpse. He eventually straightened up, landing back on his feet.
As he landed, the surrounding darkness rippled before it flowed across the ground like water as if sucked in by his feet, enshrouding them. He borrowed the flowing momentum to slide forward, almost like he was skating, before changing to a run as he flicked green blood from his blade.
"Nightlings." He muttered, the name coming out as if it were a curse.
The rest of his short journey to the village was unhindered, and it didn't take him long to reach the closed village gates and enter.
He headed back in the same direction towards the farm soon after with an older man dressed in red in tow. The man quietly kept pace, carrying a sizeable grey satchel looped over his shoulder.
Marcus noticed the carcass of the Nightling he had left behind earlier had vanished, with just a few minor blood stains left on the ground. His enhanced eyesight could just make out the few bloody remnants left behind.
He assumed another creature of the night had taken it away to eat and thought no more of it as they passed the dark stretch of pathway unhindered.
As they reached the farmhouse, he sprinted up to the door, giving it two loud thuds.
"Valeria, it's me. Open the door," he shouted. Neither he nor Anton seemed out of breath from their dash to the farmhouse.
Valeria hurriedly unlocked the door, allowing the two men to enter. The baby was led on top of the table with clothing on either side to prevent him from rolling off.
Anton approached silently, already briefed by Marcus on the matter before they had set off. Carefully, he removed the luxurious white blanket that enveloped the infant, examining him in detail.
"Have you given him anything?" Anton softly spoke as he reached down, checking the boy's pulse before resting his right hand flat against the baby's chest and sending a pulse of essence into him, using a technique for assessing injuries.
"Not really. I tried getting him to drink some goat's milk earlier, but he just coughed it back up and wouldn't take any." Valeria said, a look of anxiety set on her face as she leaned over the table, stroking the child's head.
"He seems sick. Can you do anything?" She pleaded to Anton, who had his eyes closed.
She knew he was assessing the boy. The healer kept his hand there for some time, and just before she was about to inquire what was going on, his eyes opened, and she caught the look of sadness that crossed them.
"I am afraid the child will not survive the night." He said slowly, his sorrow-filled eyes meeting hers.
"The boy's major organs are failing. I tried to heal them, but I couldn't do so. It's as if someone had injected a violent form of essence into the child that is stopping my attempts at healing. The best I can do is give something for the pain to ease his passing if he regains consciousness." Anton said in sadness as he removed his bag and placed it beside the table.
"Who would do such a thing to a child?" Valeria asked.
"I don't know, but whoever it was is far stronger than us. Perhaps the best thing we can do now is just be here so he is not alone in his final hours." Anton added.
"No one in the village knows better than me how long you've been trying for a child with little success. I'm sorry this had to happen to you both. If there was anything I could do, I would. I'll give you both time and wait outside." He whispered as he reached out and squeezed Valeria's arm in support before walking out of the front door and closing it behind him.
"Why does this have to happen to us, Marcus? Why does it feel like we're being punished? Who would send us a child at death's door? It's just cruel." Valeria said, her voice finally breaking as tears slid down her cheeks.
She reached up and wiped them away. Leaning down, she slowly started to run her hand gently over the baby's chest, sniffling as she watched the infant begin to fade away.
Marcus stood emotionless at her side, as straight as a pillar, resting his right hand on her back. His knuckles, white from gripping the twinblade handle so hard, were the only visible outward sign of his emotions to a keen observer.
The pair watched as the boy slowly slipped away as night turned into day. The child regained consciousness a few times, and Anton returned to apply herbal powder to his gums to help with the pain before heading back outside.
Valeria and Marcus had seen people die horrible deaths before them, and neither of them was a stranger to death. None of that had prepared them for a night like tonight, watching the child's ragged breathing as he did tiny coughs and spluttered out trickles of crimson, his lungs filling with blood.
They watched in grim silence, leaning into each other for support. Marcus remained stoic, a hint of red now forming around his eyes.
Valeria had stopped crying, feeling like she had run out of tears long since. Her head was buried in her husband's shoulder, his already dirty brown robe now full of wet stains.
The only audible sound was the crackling of the waning fire, which seemed to match the baby as he sputtered and coughed, his flame also precariously flickering and on the verge of being extinguished.
The child's breathing eventually stilled, and the last remaining patches of pink on his skin slowly turned white as his heart stopped beating and life left his tiny body.
Witnessing this, Valeria turned and dove further into her husband's embrace, her eyes finding more tears that streamed down her cheeks as she cried out loud.
Marcus dropped the twinblade, which he had long considered his prized possession, letting it fall to his side with a resounding thud as he wrapped both arms around her and held on tight.
Silently wrapped in an embrace, neither knew what to do or say, so they remained motionless. Before either of them could take further action, the farm animals that had been silent until now suddenly went into a frenzy nearby.
Loud animal noises and movement emanated from the barn. Confused, the pair headed outside to join Anton, who was also observing the commotion coming from nearby.
None of the three noticed a faint purple glow from under the still form on the table. They had not seen the silver-purple amulet that had slipped and fallen behind the infant, now tucked away beside him.
Inside the body of the child, a war ignited. A wave of purple energy entered the body and washed over every cell, provoking a response from a dirty yellow-coloured type that rose to attack.
As the purple and yellow power waged their internal war, a tiny mass of white, flickering on the verge of being extinguished, was caught in the middle.
The yellow energy detected the tiny strand of white and launched an attack at it, covering it in an attempt to snuff it out. As if sensing this, the purple energy rushed over in a wave, crashing against the yellow power and halting its attack in a stalemate.
The white energy, now safe, was pulled over to the purple, rubbing up against it as if in thanks. The two slowly mixed and became one, with the purple energy increasing in brightness.
The yellow refused to be ignored as it slammed into the now-merged pair with a renewed assault, trying to wear them down and destroy them. The two powers battled, with the yellow gradually gaining the upper hand. The purple energy consolidated and prepared for a final showdown, building momentum before launching a last-ditch counterattack.
The purple managed to force the yellow energy back, but eventually, it seemed to run out of power. It was slowly being pulled apart and engulfed.
Just as the dirty yellow energy looked poised to devour the purple, new azure-coloured energy seemingly appeared from nowhere. It struck out, blasting the yellow and shattering it into pieces throughout the body.
This formidable azure energy washed over the body, bringing a hint of life back to it before vanishing. Ignored by the fierce azure energy, the purple energy left alone in the ruins of the former battleground slowly merged with the body.
Back on the table, colour returned to the small body. Its tiny form began to twitch all over, and little limbs moved. Eyes finally snapped wide open, emitting a faint purple glow, blinking a few times.