"My poor boy!"
The wailing was incessant, filled with a loss so devastating, it irritated the Initiate's eardrums this early in the morning. This was the second day of the mission, and still the mystery eluded Initiates and Dreadlords alike. There was no use in pretending anyone could sleep through the broken wails of the mother, and Zephyrine Caddel barely slept a wink overnight. Still dressed in her attire from the previous day, the young Initiate peered around to the others squished into makeshift cots in the room they all shared. She almost missed the soft bed and private room they got to experience for only a few hours in Vel Luin days ago.
This mission was not one Zephyrine thought she would be asked to assist with, but she was not exactly going to voice her surprise. She withstood the accusatory looks and puzzled expressions from other Initiates she had joined from the Academy, confused on who she was and questioned whether she was a new Initiate despite her growing up there.
"He's dead! He is dead!"
"Someone shut her up!" Came the disgruntled groan of an Initiate that could no longer pretend. Everyone slowly got up, and Zephyrine shot out of the room before she could see their stares. The tavern was empty at this hour, but given the commotion outside, she doubted anyone would be keeping indoors.
Vel Luin was unmistakable in the distance; the telltale silhouette of The Twins breaking the flat shoreline that lead to this small seaside town. For the past week, families woke up distraught as children were discovered cold in their beds. It sickened Zeph when the briefing came in upon their arrival to Vel Luin, and even the previous day held a surreal veil around the small town as the Initiates were brought up to speed and taken to various areas around town to establish sentry points.
A group of locals and Dreadlords gathered around a woman, doing their best to console her as her legs gave out and her eyes distant and empty. From where she stood, Zephyrine could see the blood staining the hands of the mother, a widow. They were all widows, yet this connection still puzzled those investigating the strangeness that overtook this town.
"That makes six children... and a Dreadlord is dead."
Zephyrine whipped around to the voice, tawny eyes widening at the shocking piece of information. "Who?"
By now most Initiates meandered out from the tavern, rubbing their eyes in the gentle light of dawn breaking over the horizon. Few caught the end of the news that came from the Dreadlord in charge of the Initiates, faces ranging from shock and confusion. "Someone from the Vel Luin ranks. They were ordered to keep watch northwest of here..." The aged man then turned their gaze to Zephyrine, lifting a brow in question. "You the Initiate that can recreate? Initiate Caddel?"
"I am... sir." It still did not sit well with her to be around so many people, let alone airing out her magic. The Dreadlord, with a name so common she had forgotten it, handed her a pouch. "What is--" She opened the fastening, peering inside to see a small eyeball nearing that of a human, but the colouring was strange. Zephyrine closed the pouch and all but shoved it back to the Dreadlord. "I can't recreate something living. Human, creature, plants... not on the list." At least she would not have to touch the thing and get a good look at the optic nerve still hanging to it.
The Dreadlord sighed, knowing it was too good to be true and had hoped Initiate Caddel could paint a picture of what sort of creature this eye belonged to. "Worth a shot." This warranted a glare from Caddel. "The dead Dreadlord was clutching this... and there is a trail of blood leading inland. Gear up, the lot of you. Our mission today is to hunt down this thing. Vel Anir is sending more numbers to guard this town, so we are no longer needed here."
"Do we know anything else of this thing?"
Zephyrine gasped. Snatching the pouch, her hand disappeared inside and pulled out the grotesque object and slowly moved it in the light. "It's nocturnal. See? How it catches the light and shines? That's something found in nocturnal animals." That explained the colouring.
"So you do get an education at that Academy..." The Dreadlord - she was still unable to recall his name - chuckled at Zephyrine's correct deduction. "Caddel is right. We need to cover as much ground as we can while we have daylight, gather as much information as we can before we begin the hunt."
The wailing was incessant, filled with a loss so devastating, it irritated the Initiate's eardrums this early in the morning. This was the second day of the mission, and still the mystery eluded Initiates and Dreadlords alike. There was no use in pretending anyone could sleep through the broken wails of the mother, and Zephyrine Caddel barely slept a wink overnight. Still dressed in her attire from the previous day, the young Initiate peered around to the others squished into makeshift cots in the room they all shared. She almost missed the soft bed and private room they got to experience for only a few hours in Vel Luin days ago.
This mission was not one Zephyrine thought she would be asked to assist with, but she was not exactly going to voice her surprise. She withstood the accusatory looks and puzzled expressions from other Initiates she had joined from the Academy, confused on who she was and questioned whether she was a new Initiate despite her growing up there.
"He's dead! He is dead!"
"Someone shut her up!" Came the disgruntled groan of an Initiate that could no longer pretend. Everyone slowly got up, and Zephyrine shot out of the room before she could see their stares. The tavern was empty at this hour, but given the commotion outside, she doubted anyone would be keeping indoors.
Vel Luin was unmistakable in the distance; the telltale silhouette of The Twins breaking the flat shoreline that lead to this small seaside town. For the past week, families woke up distraught as children were discovered cold in their beds. It sickened Zeph when the briefing came in upon their arrival to Vel Luin, and even the previous day held a surreal veil around the small town as the Initiates were brought up to speed and taken to various areas around town to establish sentry points.
A group of locals and Dreadlords gathered around a woman, doing their best to console her as her legs gave out and her eyes distant and empty. From where she stood, Zephyrine could see the blood staining the hands of the mother, a widow. They were all widows, yet this connection still puzzled those investigating the strangeness that overtook this town.
"That makes six children... and a Dreadlord is dead."
Zephyrine whipped around to the voice, tawny eyes widening at the shocking piece of information. "Who?"
By now most Initiates meandered out from the tavern, rubbing their eyes in the gentle light of dawn breaking over the horizon. Few caught the end of the news that came from the Dreadlord in charge of the Initiates, faces ranging from shock and confusion. "Someone from the Vel Luin ranks. They were ordered to keep watch northwest of here..." The aged man then turned their gaze to Zephyrine, lifting a brow in question. "You the Initiate that can recreate? Initiate Caddel?"
"I am... sir." It still did not sit well with her to be around so many people, let alone airing out her magic. The Dreadlord, with a name so common she had forgotten it, handed her a pouch. "What is--" She opened the fastening, peering inside to see a small eyeball nearing that of a human, but the colouring was strange. Zephyrine closed the pouch and all but shoved it back to the Dreadlord. "I can't recreate something living. Human, creature, plants... not on the list." At least she would not have to touch the thing and get a good look at the optic nerve still hanging to it.
The Dreadlord sighed, knowing it was too good to be true and had hoped Initiate Caddel could paint a picture of what sort of creature this eye belonged to. "Worth a shot." This warranted a glare from Caddel. "The dead Dreadlord was clutching this... and there is a trail of blood leading inland. Gear up, the lot of you. Our mission today is to hunt down this thing. Vel Anir is sending more numbers to guard this town, so we are no longer needed here."
"Do we know anything else of this thing?"
Zephyrine gasped. Snatching the pouch, her hand disappeared inside and pulled out the grotesque object and slowly moved it in the light. "It's nocturnal. See? How it catches the light and shines? That's something found in nocturnal animals." That explained the colouring.
"So you do get an education at that Academy..." The Dreadlord - she was still unable to recall his name - chuckled at Zephyrine's correct deduction. "Caddel is right. We need to cover as much ground as we can while we have daylight, gather as much information as we can before we begin the hunt."
