Julius Calendar 879
Month Of The Weeping Angels
18th
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Upon the outskirts of the great expanse of forest know as the Great Axe sat a small hamlet called Little Willow, merely twenty ramshackle houses clustered together.
On this particular evening in Little Willow a palpable tension could be felt in the air. A woman's weak agonising cries resonated throughout the hamlet, mingling with the drifting snowflakes that meandered through the nights sky. Alongside the woman's cries was a softer wail that was especially heart wrenching. The weeping voice of a loving husband.
The woman's cries grew weaker and weaker whilst the mans wailing grew louder and louder. Eventually only a distraught sobbing could be heard throughout Little Willow, muffled somewhat by the blanketing snow.
Until suddenly a second voice rung forth, mixing with the first to create a despondent chorus. A high pitched wailing alongside a deep crying. A heart broken man and a new born babe crying together amidst a snowy evening.
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Julius Calendar 879
Month Of The Weeping Angels 18th
Jasper Valour is born
Hilda Valour passes away in childbirth
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Julius Calendar 890
Month Of The Brightest Solaris
3rd
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Jasper stealthily stalked through the dense Great Axe forest. In his gaze past a few ancient tree's was a white hart bathing in the warm summer sun. Upon the hart's head a fantastic pair of antlers arrogantly stood tall, eighteen twisting tips fanned around the beasts skull like a natural crown announcing the creature as a monarch to all.
Licking his lips Jasper greedily swept his gaze over the fantastic antlers and luscious white pelt, imagining how grand it would look displayed over their meagre mantle. His family that lived in Little Willow was currently starving. Just as was the twenty other families that made up the population of the hamlet that bordered with the Great Axe forest. Nearly all of its denizens made their living through farming, however the Valour's and Rockfall's put food on their plates by hunting, the only families who did so. Not without reason however, they were just the only families hardy and strong enough to brave the Axe.
And so it was that a ten year old Jasper Valour clad in ripped pelt shoes and cloth rags felt every ounce of the pressure resting on his shoulders as he pulled an arrow from his wicker quiver. Loading his munition he pulled his roughshod oaken bow taut and fluidly brought it up to eye level. Staring down the arrows head he narrowed his eyes, intently staring at a pulsing vein on the great white harts neck. Breathing out through his nose he went still.
His finger loosed. The taut bow snapped and the arrow flew. Soaring through the air the arrows feathered tail revealed itself to be unbalanced. Swerving to the left the arrow violently buried deep into the harts shoulder, many inches from its intended lethal mark.
Loudly braying the proud white creature took off into the surrounding bush.
"Ah damn it" A crude curse that contrasted with the gaunt boys tender age was let loose as he donned his bow upon his back and bolted in pursuit of his prey. Sprinting forward deeper into the Great Axe's depths the boy followed the crashing ruckus of the wounded harts clumsy escape.
A few minutes of shaky pursuit ensured. Gritting his teeth and wiping a few forming beads of sweat from his forehead Jasper couldn't help but curse to himself again. For a poverty stricken hunter like him letting quarry run off with an arrow still imbedded in it was a disaster. To make a arrow that flew true was no easy feat, no one in Little Willow was capable of it. No they'd have to go to the fletchers in Brackenborn to buy more, which Jasper knew they couldn't afford. As he ran along his near empty quiver shook, two lonely arrows rattled about within.
It was because of his poverty that Jasper steeled himself and continued chasing after both the frantic hart and his arrow. Deeper and deeper into the Axe. The chase continued for another few minutes as the hart continued to rashly plough deeper towards the heart of the forest. As the undergrowth and surrounding trees grew thicker and older Jasper slowed to a trot, straining his ears for the sound of his quarry that seemed to of come to a halt.
Uneasiness was apparent on the young boys gaunt bronze face as he peered about at his gloomy surroundings. From six he had hunted in the Axe under his fathers wise guidance. Guidance that had kept him safe and alive for the past four years in this dangerous place. The number one taboo his father installed into him, don't go in deep. Beasts lurk deep in the Wild Axe. Hunter and hunted might flip if you stray in to far.
Observing the thick ancient trees that were barely visible in the gloomy light Jasper knew this was far deeper into the Axe than he'd ever been before. Normally he stuck to hunting upon the many worn trails that would safely bring him back to Little Willow within at most twenty minutes. But prey seemed to be getting sparser and fewer along the beaten tracks and so he was forced to venture deeper to find his quarry. Quickly doing some mental navigating Jasper decided he was currently at least thirty minutes from the deepest but closest section of trails.
Taking a shaky breath he calmed his nerves, adversity and poverty had forged him harder than most boys his age. If he didn't procure food for him and his dad the eventual result would be the same as meeting a ferocious beast in the Axe. Death. With a slightly steadier head and redetermined resolve he once again quietened his breath and listened for the wounded hart.
Off in the distance a twig softly snapped. Reacting like the creatures he so often stalked Jasper’s head whipped round to a thick bush to his right, his long matted chestnut hair flayed about from the sharp motion. Slightly smiling he crouched down and tentatively stalked forward. As he entered the bush the little light that had permeated the area was choked out by the thick undergrowth.
Proceeding forward in the darkness Jasper heightened every one of his senses. His fathers warnings about numerous Valour's and Rockfall's alike going missing in the Axe resounded in his head. His breathing was becoming increasingly heavy as his eyes nervously darted about the convoluted dark shadows about him. A young boys active imagination created creatures in the darkness that did not exist in reality but seemed very real in his minds eye. After nearly thirty yards that felt a lot longer, he could vaguely make out what seemed to be light breaking through the bush ahead of him. Cautious and fearful Jasper slowed, tense and ready to turn tail and flee for his life at any moment.
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His fathers warnings now rung even louder in his head as he eyed the shining light that didn't seem to belong in the deep gloomy Axe. Coming to what seemed to be the last of the undergrowth Jasper slowly pulled the thorny bush aside.
An audible gasp rung out as a beautiful discovery greeted his cautious entrance. A small sunlit glade sprawled before him filled with radiant flowers of all colours. Deeply inhaling through his nose Jasper realised the thick musky stench of decay that had occupied him throughout his hunt had been chased away by a fragrant soft aroma that uplifted his spirits. The iridescent multi coloured blossoms gently swayed in a breeze that seemed only to exist in this isolated glade. Crouching the other side of the clearing was the injured white hart who upon seeing its aggressor turned and swiftly limped away into the dark depths of the Axe.
However Jasper didn’t notice his quarry. His attention was captivated by a great black stone tablet that stood proudly on a daises occupying the centre of the meadow, the black stone was magnificently basking in the suns warm rays. Luscious green moss grew up over the four metre tall tablet giving it an archaic air.
Rising to his feet the skinny young boy clad in rags stared in wonder at this seemingly ancient find. The Great Axe was of an immeasurably vast size and it was often heard of great treasures and mystical items being found within. But of course would be peasant treasure hunters were put off by the innumerable dangers that resided alongside the good fortune. Without sufficient strength delving into the Great Axe's depths was tantamount to suicide.
His smile soon turned into a frown however as he turned hjs head about scanning the glade for the long departed hart. Finding himself alone in the wide medow his frown deepened and contorted his innocent features. As mystical as this relic was it wouldn't feed him and his father. Sighing Jasper kicked at the soft grassy ground as he resigned himself to a failed hunt and a lost arrow.
Shaking his despondent emotions away he raised his eyes and marvelled at the great black tablet he had stumbled upon. A glitter began to form in the young lads eyes as he thought about the ancient ancestors who had left behind such a curious legacy.
Being a young child his mind was often occupied by thoughts of those higher beings that controlled immense powers at their fingertips. Sometimes when the pain of hunger got exceptionally bad he would escape into a fantasy world where he too controlled forces that could render the skies and carve mountains, there he would battle foul creatures of dark origins and without fail he would triumph over the enemies time and time again.
So it was that Jasper lost himself to thinking of those ancestors of times long past who had left this curious black stone tablet that sat upon a similarly black foot high daises. His eyes devoured the contours of the jagged tablet, it seemed to of originally been fashioned in a rectangular shape but the ravages of time had chipped and dulled the once finely carved edges into little more than a jagged mass. The daises itself was square and had seemed to of worn better than the tablet over the years, it's form still intact and solid. The tablet was set towards the back of the daises whilst the front was bare much like a platform.
Smiling with boyish curiosity Jasper moved across the glade to the foot of the tablet. Without thinking he stepped up onto the daises to better inspect the jagged mass of black rock. However as his foot fell his entire body went rigid and a dazed expression befuddled his sallow innocent features.
From beneath his feet he could feel numerous channels connecting down deep into the earths bowels and within those channels was a bright energy pulsing vibrantly. With a dumbfounded look plastered across his impoverished boyish features he stepped off the daises, gasping as the connection was brutally snapped. Shock and wonder soon filled his eyes as he stared at the daises that seemed to posses some mystical properties, his eyes scoured the black rocks surface searching for any physical traces of the channels he had just felt. However no matter how he looked it only appeared to be a regular stone platform.
Jaspers chest was rising and falling rapidly from the shock of what he had just experienced. Hesitantly he bent down and slipped of his ragged fur pelt shoes, then tentatively he once again stepped up onto the daisies.
As before from his feet he felt an immeasurably vast system of small channels burying away in all directions into the ground. Wiggling his toes Jaspers clear laughter filled with wonder and excitement echoed about the beautiful glade. The energy pulsing in the channels seemed to react to his enthusiasm and pulsed all the more vibrantly. The energy was like a tide gently lapping at the bottom of his feet. It rushed all the way up to the surface of the platform, tickling the soles of his feet before hesitating and retreating back before repeating itself over and over.
Sensing the energies apparent hesitant nature Jasper closed his eyes and concentrated. As the energy tide came in and once again lapped at the bottom of his feet Jasper beckoned it in his mind. As soon as he beckoned it to enter so it did. In a single great motion it blasted up his legs all the way to his thighs, covering a great distance in but a breath.
As if he has just been doused in a bucket of freezing water Jasper gasped for air and his eyes snapped open. Looking down he was horrified to see that upon his legs glowing vein like patterns had lit up and were pulsing in time to the earths channels below him. Where the glowing veins spread on his legs they carried with them an intense tingling sensation. With every pulse the glowing veins ascended slightly further up his youthful body.
Aghast at the seemingly unnatural transformation Jasper let out a shocked shrill and fell backwards off the daises and scrambled away from the tablet and daises. Trying to get up he found his legs to be completely unresponsive and numbs so turning to his front he crawled away not resting till he reached the edge of the glade.
Panicking he lowered his shaky hands to touch his legs that had seemingly returned to normal aside from a deep numbness. Sweat beaded his forehead and his eyes were wide as he gasped deep breaths wondering what he had just experienced. Slowly minutes crept by. Shock was soon replaced with fear witch eventually turned to despair as his legs remained unresponsive. Worry and gloom knitted his brows together as he pondered on whether he was destined to be crippled for the rest of his life because of his curious nature.
But such morbid thoughts were quickly dispelled as under his insistent urging his little toe twitched, prompting a great sigh of relief from the skinny boy. Vigorously wriggling all ten of his toes it was only a matter of minutes before he shakily rose to his feet.
Jasper stood there at the edge of the glade trembling, mind numb and shocked by the what he had just experienced. He took a step forward. Then frowned. Something was different.
Beneath his bare feet was moist grass and soft earth which of course he could feel. However beneath the grass and dirt he could feel something else. Something more. It seemed intangible and ethereal yet at the same time it was most assuredly there. Creasing his brows Jasper stood still in the warmly lit glade and once again closed his eyes. Concentrating on his feet and the earth below him he tried to figure out what it was that felt different to him, felt new even.
Silence reigned as the boy stood still and felt his body and the ground below him. His brows twitched. There it was. A soft pulse. Slow but consistent. The earth beneath him wasn't pulsing of course but it felt like something below was slowly breathing. Concentrating harder he focused on the pulse and eventually after nearly ten minutes of silently standing he felt more. Once again he felt the channels leading to the tablet snaking underneath his feet. He felt their pulse. Slowly opening his eyes that were overflowing with wonder and nervousness his young voice echoed out brimming with fascination and bewilderment “What have I done and gone stepped on?”
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Julius Calendar 890
Month Of The Brightest Solaris 3rd
Jasper Valour discovers what will later come to be known as the Jasper Lodestone
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