Just across the Tajon river, lay a land undisturbed, a kingdom undiscriminating and inhabited by diverse people and creatures. The whole kingdom was a large island, curved away from the other kingdoms by the Tajon river which spilled into the sea. The land was a home - and more - to tribes, to races, to creatures and to people, and all who came with peaceful intentions were always welcomed.
The kingdom of Aerilon was unlike any of the other kingdoms, they never had a record of war, didn’t have a king or a general ruler, what they had were tribe chiefs, a leader to keep its own kind always in check and to ensure that rivalries were peacefully and easily settled so that they all would be able to co-exist.
The humans inhabited the land, and so did a few kind witches, the half breeds, the mixed breeds and the Khiones. Then handful of them who survived the great massacre and had managed to move from their home land, across the river had found refuge in the welco
Almost sixty years now and yet, she waited for him. Waited for the sign of a boat that would bring him to her from across the river. Almost sixty years and she still held on to his words, the words he promised her that he would come find her, he would come find the both of them, but even now, she knew not where her daughter was. She sighed and closed her eyes, bowed her head low and allowed the tears fall freely. Her husband, her daughter. Gone.The party had crossed the Tajon river safely that time, it had taken two days to reach Aerilon, and even still they could see the rising fumes and smoke as their village burnt to the ground, they could still hear the screams of people tortured and dying even from miles away. The sounds haunted them as they floated away to safety, their husbands and fathers, brothers and sons, fighting for their land, their home, their birthright. They knew they fought a battle they could not win, but still they fought, not willing to give up and
The weather in Nuxvar was hotter in the afternoons and only a little cooler in the evenings, but at night and into the early morning it got really cold. They had been in this village for three days and Lyra had no idea why they were here nor why they were on this journey but she didn’t feel in any way unsafe or threatened, and even Iris seemed to keep her distance with her.The water was cool and it made her body feel wonderful, relaxed and light.Ryder had gone wherever and so had Iris and Xanth, she was the only one who didn’t have a mission nor a destination, she just had to tag and follow along wherever Ryder led. Now that she was alone in this place, she had the time to herself and she intended in scouting the inn right after breakfast. Maybe take a stroll around, not too far away so she wouldn’t get lost.She stepped out of the bathroom with a robe around her body, with her hair dripping water on the floor, since she was alone in the room, she didn’t bother to be cautious and so
“What are we supposed to look for again?” Iris asked Xanth as they walked through the village. They had on heavy dark, hooded cloaks on them, hiding their swords and weapon from the eyes of others to keep the attention away from them, but the fact that they wore heavy dark hooded cloaks made them stand out from the rest of the villagers.“Information that could be useful.”“And how are we to do that?” She sneered.Xanth sighed. “Iris, I know you do not want to do this because you hate Lyra, but think of this also as doing it for Ryder, he needs all the help he can get now.”“That is only why I am doing this, Xanth, because of Ryder, but why are we to find another Khione when we already have one?”“I think,” He said and turned a corner towards the forest. “He doesn’t want to put all his eggs into one basket by relying on Lyra loving him.”She scoffed. “I think he is becoming soft and he doesn’t want to kill the girl.”Xanth smirked. He had that logic too, the fact that Ryder was beginn
The Khione woman before him was young, much too young to be a mother. She was beautiful in all ways, her white hair matched her silver eyes, it was as rare as the sky turning red and Xanth could not help but feel mesmerized in them. It captured his attention and he could not just look away.“It is almost impossible for just anyone to be able to sense my presence.” Xanth started, he eyed the woman cautiously as he could feel the powerful aura that emanated from within her. “Yet you were able to do, and so easily too.”“I am not just anyone.” Her tone of voice shot out anger and spite, it spoke of her hatred and dislike for him. “And I know your kind, I have studied your kind, the kind of negative aura you give off, the negative energies.”He chuckled in mock surprise. “Negative?”“You are an Axeris, are you not?” She asked him. She asked him like she knew what the answer would be but she just wanted him to acknowledge the fact that she was right.“I am.” He replied to her honestly.She
“Just look at how fat you’ve become.” Syrana jeered at her sister, she held her long skirt up from the front to keep herself from tripping over it on this uneven rocky terrain. “What are you being fed with over there?” She chuckled and hurried in her steps, she had left the village almost an hour ago and had walked to the outskirts as she had planned to meet with her sister.Naphtalia smiled tiredly and shook her head. The huge rock she sat on was just the right amount of comfort she could be provided with outside the walls of the Astaroth castle. The tree she rested her back against provided the much needed shade, she had been here a couple of minutes before she sighted her younger sister running up the small hill to meet her.Ever since before she left Qeorin, she and her sister had promised to meet here on a certain day of every month for Syrana would not step into Astaroth because she had a strong dislike for Khiones developing relationship with outsiders, most especially relation
They were back at the inn, all three of them gathered in Xanth’s room with Lyra sleeping safely in another room. Ryder paced quietly, his arms crossed on his chest, his eyebrows furrowed and his mind still trying to grasp what Xanth had just revealed to him. It caused him to worry because this could prove to be a hindrance to his plans. They would have to move.“And you are certain?” He asked Xanth for the umpteenth time. He knew his answer would still be the same and he trusted in his honesty but he just had to ask again.“She claimed to be the girl’s mother.” Iris spoke up. “But from what I saw she was probably much too young to be anyone’s mother. I say she’s not.”“No, it is not just a claim. I am certain that she is Lyra’s mother.” Xanth spoke out.They had returned to the inn early in the morning, an hour or two before dawn. Iris had been the first to return after Xanth had told her to, and he had returned less than two hours after she had. Xanth had come in, behaving rather str
“…then if it’s a boy?” She asked her sister, a soft smile on her lipsShe watched her sister’s soft eyes look up at her and smile, her hand rubbed gently across her stomach. She smiled, her cheeks heating up and Syrana knew that her sister must have been thinking of Dixon.“Xanth.” She said. “I’ll name him Xanth if it’s a boy.”She woke up.She felt light headed and oddly calm after she had woken up, her body was relaxed like she had just had the best sleep in years, her head was free and her mind was empty for a while and she felt at peace for the first time in a long time. And she smiled, briefly.“Xanth…” She whispered softly and chuckled, her eyes burned with tears and she brought her palm to her mouth as she chuckled again, and again. And again.The last time she had felt like this had been over fifty six years ago, the year she had given birth to her daughter, before the massacre in Qeorin. She had been five hundred and ninety six years old then, young enough to hold a grudge a
If the thought that Nuxvar was the most unwelcoming place in Dergesier ever crossed their minds, then Whispercrest had put that thought aside. If unwelcoming was a person, it would be Whispercrest. The town was a desolate place and hardly did they see a living soul cross their path. Lyra was cautious and felt vulnerable even as she rode her horse steadily with Ryder to her left and Xanth to her right, leaving Iris to follow behind.She shivered underneath the thick cloak she had on and she knew it was not because of the cold. The snow had settled here thick and it was still coming down heavily, there was no sign of foot prints in the snow left behind by someone who had walked by. She swallowed and from the corner of her eye, glanced over to Ryder. He sat up straight on the horse, his senses heightened and sharp, his eyes darting from the left to the right and she could tell that he tried to smell the air. She would give anything right now to be seated with Ryder on the same horse. In