Ilyan Waramyr’s dreams were dark just like the lands around them when he and his fiancé had returned from their lover’s journey. He was walking on a field with endless rows of roses ahead of him. The sky was faintly red like the last hour of twilight. In the sky the red moon was shining brightly. It looked rather ominous, heat was radiating from it, even though it wasn’t a sun. He touched one of the roses while he walked forward on the endless field, they were beautiful, just like his soon to be wife, but the thorns were sharp, and his hand started bleeding. His blood started to drip on the roses…

“Wake up my lord, wake up!” screamed a familiar voice.

Ilyan woke up abruptly while a man was shaking him, or almost a man. It was Jordan the stable boy.

“Oh, praise Gothmor that I found you, your father, his lordship has been so worried about you!”

Ilyan noticed that Jordan was holding his sword, which was probably for the best, Ilyan was a warrior that had seen a lot and he didn’t always sleep easily. His vision was blurry but it came back to him when Jordan released him. Ilyan had a hard time remembering Jordan’s age, but he couldn’t be older than fifteen or sixteen with his chestnut forelock reaching his worried eyes. He had never seen Jordan this afraid. He wasn’t a boy that was particularly good at anything but he always had a calm and kind demeanor about him and Ilyan liked him more than some. He turned around and he could see Marion sleeping next to him covered with only a thin silk blanket leaving next to nothing for the imagination. Her black raven hair was covering her eyes. She was in a deep sleep.  

He got angry immediately, this was his father’s estate. Jordan should show more respect than charge in here, early in the morning. He almost took the boy by the throat but remembered quickly that his father was worried about him. He took some water from his nightstand that he had left there in case he would wake up in the middle of the night.

“What is Jordan? We only came back from our journey last night and haven’t received any news yet. We went to the closest of my father’s estates and went to bed straight away.” One thing that he had reacted to was the fact that it had been no servants to greet them. The thought had been troubling him, the mansion was in good condition, why would they abandon it?

“Why have you been gone so long, my lord? It is almost one year to the day since you left. Unfortunately, I have no good news to tell you,” said Jordan.

They had been gone for almost a year? It was rather long for a lover’s journey; the journey all couples took before they could marry. However, he hadn’t done anything wrong, his father had said that he could take his time. They had both the money and the manpower, and they could do without him. He and Marion had journeyed with the ash throne, the throne that connected all of the nine worlds. It had been impossible for anyone to find him or send a message, just like they had wanted too. However, it went both ways, he had no idea what had happened on Elnyr while they had been gone. He suddenly remembered the dream about the red moon. The red moon usually was brightest when a god was about to descend to Elnyr.

“What happened? Did a god descend? Surely that is nothing our families couldn’t handle?” said Ilyan.

Jordan started to laugh. “A god? My lord, there have been six only this month!”

Ilyan froze. “That is not possible.” According to the descended, gods only fell to Elnyr the world of men when they had been slayed in their world, the world of the gods. For six to descend in a month was unprecedented, for something like that to happen the gods needed to be in war with each other.

He leaped out of their bed, their vacation was over that was for certain. Jordan started to talk fast, but Ilyan silenced him. He was sure what the boy had to say was important, but he wasn’t going to stand there and listen in only his smallclothes. When he was dressed, he made a notion with his hand that they should leave the room. He had a hard time believing that there had been six only this month, was his family prepared for that? He needed to see someone that knew better the current state of affairs, Jordan could have misunderstood, but something had made him nervous, that was for certain.

“Where are my kin now?” asked Ilyan.

“They will be at the Azral ruins shortly, there is going to be an emergency meeting, his lordship Hector Waramyr has been captured by the enemy.”

“What enemy?” asked Ilyan. House Gold was the mightiest on the whole continent, who would be foolish enough to attack them? Even kings bowed before them, now when they had the eyes. That had been House Gold’s dream, to be so powerful that they could end all wars, and they had succeeded in their mission, hadn’t they?

“My lord, there is so much to talk about, so much you don’t know. Sardos and a handful of Silvers have betrayed you and your family.”

Now Jordan’s credibility was all gone, a few lowly silvers couldn’t pose a threat to them, he was much worried about the talk about the fallen that had landed on Elnyr. Why would Jordan bring up House Silver at a time like this? Perhaps the boy wasn’t all right in the head. He needed to go to the meeting as soon as possible and talk with the generals.

House Gold’s task was to be the voice to the people and the kings. To divide the money and the work force and making diplomatic decisions, and the lesser Golds studied lore and history, but fighting was mandatory for all of them, since everyone was needed when you hunted a descendant.

If House Gold was the brain, House Silver was their hand. They were excellent hunters, and maintained the night lands, the lands that were always dark, and the lesser Silvers were servants like Jordan, even though he wasn’t a Silver. He of course knew Sardos from House Silver. He was one of his father’s personal servants, Sardos was a mostly decent servant who couldn’t even make a sentence when Ilyan’s sister was nearby. For that, and other reasons Ilyan had never liked him much. The thought of Sardos being a threat was inconceivable.

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“Captured? Are you sure? Didn’t you say that he sent you to find me?”

“He was captured shortly after that, if he hadn’t given the order I would most likely be dead by now, and for that I am grateful.”

“We need to go there as soon as possible; we pack some provisions and then we head to the ruins as fast as our legs can carry.”

“Me my lord? I’m just a messenger, this crisis is for warriors. There is nothing that I can do,” said Jordan nervously.

“There is plenty that you can do, traveling alone in the night lands is dangerous, I need someone to guard my back while I am sleeping, and I might have need for you as a messenger just yet.” Not that the night lands were safe when you traveled in a group, but he felt no need to remind his frightened companion of that fact.

“I guess you are in charge, while his lordship is taken by the enemy.” Jordan didn’t look happy at all about that fact.

Him leader of the whole House of Gold? That wasn’t something that he had considered. For the moment he was mightier than a king, such power could drive a man mad, and he didn’t know if he was ready for the responsibility. His father had been in good health, and he thought he had plenty of time yet, but when you thought that you had all the time in the world the gods laughed.

“Jordan, go downstairs and see if there is any food we can take with us, I need to speak with my fiancée quickly before we leave.”

Jordan rushed downstairs to obey his order. Ilyan went back into the bedroom to wake Marion. She was sleeping peacefully and he knew that this was going to be hard, apparently a lot had happened and he was ill informed. If it was true about the fallen and the fallen, he had a lot to make right. Sardos didn’t trouble him at all during the moment.

He couldn’t take Marion with him, this was going to be dangerous and he wouldn’t put her in danger for no reason. He didn’t know when he was going to see her again, he had a troubling ache in his heart that it was going to be a while before they could hold each other in their arms again. If he had known that this was going to happen, he would have salvaged more of their moments on their lover’s journey.

He shook her as gently as he could, he needed to wake her up but he wanted to wake her as gently as possible.

When she woke her, eyes were still sleepy. “Ilyan?... What time is it? Why have you awoken me during this god forsaken hour?”

“Listen, love. I have received terrible news, my father seems to have been captured, there is going to be a meeting and I must make haste without delay.”

Her eyes lit up. “Just give me two minutes and we can go,” she started to get up but Ilyan pushed her down gently.

“Marion, you can’t come with us, it’s too dangerous. We send word that you are here and someone will come and get you. I don’t know which estates that are safe but that will be more clear shortly.”

To leave her here for a few hours or even a day wasn’t perfectly safe either, but it was better than the night lands by far. He wasn’t a seeker so he didn’t know the safest and fastest routes nor did he remember any of the passwords. That was all the same, had they been gone for a year they would have been changed all the same.

He held her hand tightly. “I’ll send word about your whereabouts; you’ll be safe and surrounded by friends in no time.” This was not an argument that she was going to win. There was nothing to talk about.

She just sighed. “Promise me that you are not going to do anything stupid. If your father is taken by the enemy you need to be cautious, quite a lot is on your shoulders.”

He nodded and they embraced each other one last time. Their lips met, the taste of strawberries, the feeling of sunlight on your skin when you awake after a well-rested night, the insight of pure bliss and knowing that this was the only true light in an otherwise dark world. Now he truly knew the saying too separate is to die a little meant. He held her as long as he could until he eventually had to let go. He told her to try regain her sleep before leaving. He closed the door waving one last goodbye (there had already been several).  

He walked down the stairs trying to make himself busy with other thoughts. It was so weird to refer to someone as their enemy but he knew he had to get used to it sooner than later. He left her there while going down to the armory. He had been unarmed during their whole lover’s journey, but now he needed to carry a sword once again. Their weapons were in the basement so it was hard to see anything, but he used matches that were nearby to light one of the torches. One set of armor was standing guard at every pillar. He shouted at Jordan that he should get down here. Ilyan looked through one of the barrels, the boy had done well, the journey probably hadn’t been safe and now he knew how bad the current state was. The boy needed a reward that was for certain. He picked up a silver shoulder pad and gave it to Jordan when he descended.

“Do you want to polish that for you my lord?” said Jordan uncertainly.

“No, you have done very well today. I’m promoting you to a silver, you won’t be merely a stable boy any longer and your children will be born in house silver as well.”

Jordan bowed. “Thank you, it’s an honor my lord, I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything and just help me with my armor. He could dress himself in painted gold from head to toe, but he decided to only take house gold’s arms and legs. The helm and breastplate was still in its boring gray. He also skipped the ceremony cape and took a plain one instead, besides this one would be warmer in the night lands, where the sun never came. According to legend the god of night had created the place to begin with to get away from the other gods.

“Take a sword from the armory, anyone that feels good in your hands, have you prepared the food for us like I asked you to do?”

Jordan nodded, “I’ll have it all upstairs in a backpack. We can go whenever you like.”

If they would go when he felt like it, they wouldn’t go at all. Ilyan preferred pleasure to hard work, but not even he would just sit and roll his thumbs when his family was in danger. He fetched a golden lamp that the seekers used and nodded to Jordan to show that he was ready to leave.

Outside the sun hadn’t come up yet, it probably would be one hour or two before it would be visible, but this darkness was nothing to what was awaiting them.

“How do we access the night lands?” asked Jordan.

“This lamp was built by the material that was accessed in the night lands. I just need to turn the left wheel and a portal will be accessible to us.”

“Forgive me my lord, but most I come as well? Surely you can travel faster on your own?”

“I’m afraid you are not getting out of this one. If you try to run, you will regret it.” He understood that Jordan wasn’t too excited with accompany him, but he also needed to remember where his true loyalties lay.

Ilyan turned the left wheel while holding the lamp with his other hand. It looked like a swarm of black bees emerged from the lantern and created a black portal in front of them. This was going to be uncharted territory for both of them. None of them felt as eager as the heroes in the stories that were always ready to prove their worth.

He turned to Jordan. “Ready?”

“Ready as I ever will be I guess.” His shoulders looked heavy carrying their provisions. Their portal would close soon, they would have to go now, otherwise he would have wasted the lantern for nothing. He couldn’t force Jordan to go first, he would have to lead. He calmed himself, his thoughts were with Marion and his father and took a step then another and left this world where the sun ruled.