Leon rode on Captain Demark’s horse, sitting silently in front of the captain as the creature trotted along the cobblestone path just outside of Fernhest. The horseshoes clacked against the cobblestone occasionally, keeping his senses on edge. After seeing his father fight the captain, Leon’s emotions were all over the place. He had thought being a candidate would be a blessing to his family, but now it was beginning to seem like a curse.
The journey went on in silence, the guards and Captain Demark seemed to feel just as awkward as Leon did now. Eventually, one of the guards broke the silence for the group.
“Your father seemed mighty impressive, Leon. Talk about a warrior, eh? Not many people can hold a candle to our captain.” The man said.
Leon just nodded in reply. He already knew his father was a great warrior. He had seen it first hand when Fanden attacked the village. Leon was also thinking about how much his mother always hated it when his father fought though, and how it had been the cause of plenty of arguments in their small home.
The soldier spoke up again, “Your father ever teach you to fight?” He asked.
Leon shook his head this time and finally offered a reply, “No. Mom wouldn’t have liked that. Too dangerous, she says.”
That brought some chuckles from the other soldiers, as they started sharing stories of their own parents of similar disposition. “My mum once slapped my father until he ran out of the house for letting me hold a spear.”
“Mine lost her mind when she caught dad and I swinging swords in the field,” more laughs erupted, and the captain spoke quietly behind Leon.
“Boy, this is a good thing for you. Your parents will be fine. You’re to be a hero. You’ll make friends in Garowin, a family of sorts, and some of them will even fight alongside you in the years to come. There’s no need to be so down,” Demark said to him.
Leon thought about that for a moment, then looked back towards Demark as the horse snorted in front of him. “And what about my real family? Will I see them again?”
He saw Demark’s face and it’s subtle reaction to his question. The captain seemed hesitant to respond, but took a breath and eventually told Leon what he already suspected.
“Most likely not for a long time. Training is intense in Garowin for all hero candidates,” Demark paused before continuing, “but if you manage to do well, you may get the chance to see them once your training is complete.”
Leon nodded. “And how long is training?” he asked.
“It depends,” Demark replied, not offering any further information. Leon’s worries only rose, and he couldn’t help but wonder if that hug from his mother was really a last goodbye.
Life at Fernhest hadn’t been terrible, and Leon loved his mother and father very much. Thinking about not seeing them again left a pit in his stomach that he had never felt before. Leon’s head fell, his chin touching his chest as the feelings consumed him.
The next few hours of the journey passed quietly, with Leon using the time to do his own version of sightseeing. He had only been outside of Fernhest once, and had never really had the chance to head towards the capital. Now he was going to be living there, and he wondered how different it would be. Occasionally his mind would drift back to what it would be like to live there with his parents, but he’d force himself to think of other things.
As Leon watched the sun set over the forest, he felt the horse come to a stop. Captain Demark dismounted and offered him assistance to do the same. Leon refused, hopping down on his own and nearly falling to his knees. A few soldiers laughed, and he felt blood rush to his cheeks.
The soldiers began to set up tents and a camp around the area. They didn’t go too far from the road, and Leon wondered why.
“Wouldn’t it be better to set up camp farther from the road?” Leon asked Demark.
“Ah, perhaps if we were concerned with bandits or highwaymen you’d be correct. However, what we are mostly concerned with around these parts are Fanden,” The captain informed him.
Leon’s thoughts drifted to the creatures he had seen raid his village only a few years ago. The beasts had always piqued his curiosity, though he was ashamed to admit it. It was hard to go around asking questions about them, and no one seemed to want to talk about them anyway. This could be his chance to learn more.
“I’ve seen them, you know,” Leon said to Demark. “Well, kind of. They’re so fast I really didn’t get a good look at them. How are they so quick?” Leon was testing the waters, trying to see how much Demark would discuss with him.
The captain nodded, “I figured you’d have seen them by now, living out in a village near the edge of their territory and all. Be glad you survived the encounter.”
Demark looked at Leon thoughtfully, and Leon stared back. Leon tried to show his courage with his stare, and he secretly hoped it would convince the man to tell him more.
Demark let out a sigh, and Leon knew he had won. He was giddy but tried not to smile as Demark spoke.
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“Truth be told I couldn’t tell you why they are so fast and strong. I just know they are, and it makes them all the more dangerous,” Demark paused, “The average Fanden moves faster than the untrained eye can see. The stronger ones? It’s like they’re ghosts. One minute they’re on the edge of the battlefield, and the next they’re right next to you. You’ll learn more about them when you get to the capital and begin your training. If you see one as you are now, promise me you’ll just run far away. Can you do that Leon?”
Leon nodded. He had more questions, but he wasn’t sure he could ask them. On top of that, Leon was beginning to have mixed emotions. This was the man who took him away from his family, but he was showing genuine concern for Leon’s wellbeing. Demark also seemed kind, and his soldiers all truly respected him. Something about Demark reminded him of his father, and the pain of leaving his family welled up in his chest again.
As the young boy was trying to decipher how he felt about this situation, the soldiers had finished setting up all the tents and began to gather around. A few sat close to Leon and their captain, while others sat across from them and on the other side of the fire in the center of the group.
One of the soldiers spoke up, “So what’ll you do first when we get to Garowin, sir?” The man asked Demark.
Demark took off his helmet, his brown waves of hair falling down around his face, then he scratched his chin thoughtfully before responding.
“Well, I have to take this one,” he pointed to Leon as he said this, “to the Royal Training Grounds. After that, though?” Demark paused again, his head tilting up towards the sky as it darkened, and his eyes looking thoughtfully at the stars.
“I suppose I’ll go train at the barracks.”
Groans erupted from the soldiers nearly immediately after the statement left the captain’s lips. The soldier who initially asked the question prodded Demark again, “Sir, with all due respect — and we appreciate your work ethic — can’t you just go to the tavern with us one time?”
Leon watched the exchange with curiosity, using it as an opportunity to learn more about his captors and caretakers.
“With all due respect, that would ruin my well appreciated work ethic.” Demark replied.
The same soldier laughed at the reply, and a few other soldiers chuckled along. He opened his mouth to say something else, but in that same instance his head was gone from his shoulders. The air was still, and the silence among the group felt more tangible than the fireflies in the night air. Then, Demark— as if his voice was a knife — cut through the tension and yelled.
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Demark had been waiting for Kristoff’s reply after his quip when he saw a shadow behind the man spring from the grass. How had it managed to get past him? How had none of them noticed the beast? Kristoff’s head was gone in an instant.
“To arms!!” Demark cried out. His soldiers stared at Kristoff’s headless corpse as it slowly began to fall to the side. It crumpled to the ground, still in the same cross legged pose he had been in before, and the men didn’t move. They were too stunned, and that hesitation was costly. The Fanden had lunged again, and its claws sank into another soldier’s breastplate.
Demark got a good look at the creature and paused, swearing under his breath. One.. two.. three.. four gems?
That wasn’t a good sign. Fanden were able to be rated by how many gems they had upon their body. After studying Fanden corpses, it had been determined that the gems could assist in the manipulation of Seith. This led to these gems being extremely valuable amongst adventurers, soldiers, and even blacksmiths. The gems themselves were invaluable for the crafting of weapons, and in the heat of battle combatants could even use one as a way to boost their own power while manipulating Seith through it. They would unfortunately crumble to dust after, but it was well worth it.
Four gems on a Fanden was something to be feared. Demark had seen a Fanden with one gem take out three men on its own, and one with two take out five. He didn’t have enough men here to deal with this beast, and he had to protect Leon. The boy was a candidate, someone who eventually would have a chance at ridding the world of these creatures, and his safety was the top priority.
“Men! Retreat! Scatter and meet at Garowin! I’m taking the boy!” Demark immediately grabbed Leon around his waist with his arm and scooped him up. The Fanden seemed preoccupied with the soldier his claws had impaled, and was on all fours biting through his breastplate and into his chest. Demark glanced down at Leon whose eyes were fixed on the sight, and he silently said a prayer to the gods above.
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Leon allowed himself to be carried away by Demark, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the creature that was being illuminated by the raging fire of their camp. The Fanden looked like it was only a few heads taller than his father. Its skin was the color of ash, and black veins crawled up its body to be seen beneath its nearly paper thin skin. The creature wielded no typical weapons, and only used its claws. It looked like a man, and Leon couldn’t shake that thought from his mind. If it weren’t for the creature’s long claws, coloring, and gems embedded in its body, it could have easily been one of the villagers from Fernhest.
This reminded Leon of his father’s campfire stories, the ones he always tried to scare Leon with. Gaius would tell him of people who could turn into vicious beasts, unable to control their rage, they would end up hurting their family along with their fellow villagers. Gaius would always tell him that’s what Leon would turn into if he didn’t do his chores, and it always made Leon smile.
It made Leon’s thoughts wander, and he tried to imagine a world where people could turn into those things. It made him shiver.
“Are you okay, Leon?” Demark asked after he had caught up to one of the horses.
Leon didn’t respond as Demark lifted him onto the saddle.
“Leon, focus, are you okay? We have to go, and I need you to pay attention to me. Focus.” Demark asked again, grabbing the boy by the chin.
Leon was startled, but nodded in response. Demark gave him a quick smile that was far from reaching his eyes, and then hopped up on the horse behind him.
“Good, let’s go,” the captain said behind Leon.
The occasional scream would break through the night as they galloped along the road to Garowin at full speed, until blessedly, there were no more sounds behind them. Either they had finally gotten far enough, or there were no soldiers left to make a noise. The sight of the soldier sitting still, his head removed from his shoulders, burned in Leon’s mind. Why did Fanden exist? How were they so strong? Why did they slaughter humans like this? These questions ran through Leon’s mind, a rush of unanswered queries that left him shaken. The last thought he had, trying to fight the overwhelming drowsiness from the day, hit him like the cold winter winds of his village.
Will I ever be strong enough to help?