As the moonlight bathed Rosewood, the town lay in peaceful slumber. The gentle hum of cicadas and the occasional rustle of leaves in the cool night breeze could be heard. In the distance, the urgent sound of hoofbeats grew increasingly intense, shattering the serene atmosphere.
While Elias Kane was resting, Elara Kane and their two children were present to comfort him. Suddenly, the sound of approaching horses startled him from his thoughts. He quickly reached for the hunting knife he kept by his bedside and quietly slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake Elara. As he looked out of the window into the darkness, he saw a group of riders, their faces obscured by shadow, descending upon the village. It was clear to him that these were not ordinary travellers seeking refuge, but rather harbingers of destruction.
"Elias?" Elara's groggy voice broke the silence as she sat up and saw the look on her husband's face. "What is it?”
"Stay with the children," Elias instructed his voice tight with urgency. "Lock the doors and windows. Don’t come out until I say it’s safe."
Elara nodded, her face pale but resolute. Elias gave her a reassuring kiss before slipping out of their small cottage. As he stepped into the night, he could hear the shouts and screams of villagers being roused from their beds. Elias ran through the narrow streets, his mind racing. Who were these attackers? Why were they here? He had no time to ponder these questions. His only thought was to protect his family and his neighbours.
The village square was in chaos. Houses were burning, their flames licking hungrily at the night sky. Men, women, and children ran in all directions, trying to escape the marauders who cut them down without mercy. Elias spotted a group of men on horseback, led by a tall, imposing figure. The leader barked orders, his voice cold and commanding.
"Spare no one! Leave nothing standing!"
Elias’s blood boiled. He charged at the nearest rider, his knife flashing in the moonlight. He brought the man down with a swift, precise strike, then turned to face the next. The battle was fierce, but Elias fought with the desperation of a man who had everything to lose. Despite his efforts, the villagers were no match for the well-armed invaders. The attackers moved through Rosewood like a plague, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Elias’s mind was consumed with worry for his family. He needed to get back to them.
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He battled his way through the turmoil, overcoming various obstacles until he finally reached his humble cottage. Bursting through the door, he urgently called out for Elara and the children. However, the devastating scene that unfolded before him brought him to an abrupt halt. The cottage lay in shambles, ravaged and charred by fire. Elara's lifeless form lay motionless on the floor, her vacant gaze fixed upon the ceiling. Their children were conspicuously absent. Overwhelmed with grief, Elias sank to his knees beside his beloved wife, his heart shattering into a million pieces. Cradling her in his arms, he whispered her name amidst his tears, which intermingled with the blood and ashes that now tainted the floor. An overwhelming sense of emptiness enveloped him, as seething rage took root in the space where his heart should have been.
The leader of the attackers stood in the doorway, watching with a cruel smile. "Your family is gone, Kane," he said. "This village is mine now."
Elias gazed up; his previously calm eyes now alight with seething fury. His voice shook with emotion as he demanded, "Who do you think you are? Why are you subjecting us to this torment?" The man standing before him let out a cold, heartless laugh. "I am Garrick," he declared with chilling arrogance, "and in this harsh world, I claim what I desire. Your insignificant village happened to obstruct my path, and your family—well, they were merely casualties of circumstance." As Garrick's callous words hung in the air, Elias's knuckles whitened as he clutched the hilt of his knife. Without a second thought, he lunged at Garrick with a primal roar, but before he could make contact, the warlord evaded the assault with a calculated sidestep. In a swift, devastating motion, Garrick delivered a powerful blow that sent Elias sprawling to the ground, his world descending into a dizzying blur.
"Remember this night, Kane," Garrick said, his voice cold and mocking. "Remember my name, because it will be the last thing you think of before you die."
With that, he turned and left Elias lying in the wreckage of his home. Elias watched him go, his body wracked with pain, but his mind burning with a single, unrelenting thought: vengeance.