Chapter 1

The unfamiliar smells permeated the air, invading his senses bringing with them a strong foboding feeling, something was off. Where were the animals? Usually Horace the farmers son herded the cattle to this area to let them graze on the surrounding grass, it was an abundant pasture, a perfect place to feed the animals and the reason why Horace and his family were so wealthy. The farmer only sells the delicious meat of his animals at certain times of the year such as when the first signs of Anaheim the season of ice start to appear, by doing so the family makes a greater profit than their competitors.

Raien was unable to shake the bad feeling, with each step bringing him closer to the village the bad feeling worsened, it is okay he would be home soon. Just beyond the clearing past the towering yew trees dwelled his home, an assortment' of wood and stone, small homely buildings where his family and other members of the village lived. Things were fine this pesky feeling would dwindle when he was reunited with the rest of the village.

He picked up the pace, his legs ached from the returning trek to his village from the small city of Teyshal. Teyshal is a trading outpost for various people who live and work the land outside of the city. Today he had made a delivery of fish to a wealthy merchant his family often traded with, the fish they catch from a river to the south of the village, it's a bountiful river and it help provides for his parents and siblings as well as many others throughout the year.

Black smoke drifted into the sky, gazing above the tall trees he wondered why it was there, the village only burnt logs from certain white oak trees from the forest, the chopped timber when burned produces a white smoke not black, they village uses it because it has a greater effect in keeping away bloodsucking insects than normal logs. Why was the smoke black? Maybe a practical joke, the bard's son Daren loved messing with others, he often shirked his duties to go and wreak havoc on the older members of the village, his parents often called Daren a menace but Raien had a soft spot for the boy.

He ran so fast he neglected to watch his step and his foot caught on a tree root as he stepped past the final barrier blocking his entry into the village, stumbling to the ground he was stunned for a moment. Quickly he pulled himself upright and looked up, the bad feeling hit him square in the gut, his stomach dropped and tears formed in his eyes, one question resounded in his mind, how?

The village his home was in ruins, everything was destroyed, houses lay in smouldering ashes. Ignoring the pain in his heart he jogged past the first house before him, the large mansion of village head, a house he had played in many times throughout his life with his friend Gwen, she was one of his best friends, a girl who enjoyed rough housing as much as the next kid but seemed charm others with ease. Gwen would make a fine village head when her father stepped down my mother had always said. The memories of coming to him were priceless.

Exhausted he made his way to his families house, it too was a wreckage, the roof was partially caved in and the windows were shattered. Opening the door he walked into his home, it was not a pretty sight, the inside was even worse, food and clothes littered the floor, furniture was destroyed and there was blood everywhere, bile rose in his throat. The decaying stench was even more pervasive here than outside but he saw no signs of his family, maybe they fled? They must of ran, that must be it if I find other villagers I can locate them, a house can be rebuilt my family can't.

Making his way out of the house he headed towards the village centre, throughout the year the village held all sorts of celebrations, coming of age and joining ceremonies, celebrations of various gods and the coming of new seasons, celebrating brought the village together like a big family. The sight that greeted him in the village centre was horrific. Bodies littered the area, missing limbs lay lifelessly on the ground, some bodies had been piled up and burned, they were charred and unrecognisable, others had been decapitated. People he had known his entire life lay butchered everywhere, this time the bile wouldn't stay down, falling to his knees Raien vomited the contents of his stomach.

"What kind of monster would do this?" He choked out.

It was bad but his family could still be fine, they probably escaped, his mind attempted justify their safety. Yea, that's it father smashed the window in my room and they escaped into the trees, I'll go search by the river. Standing, he started his journey to search for his family, with each step trepidation built, were they all right, what if...

He wasn't paying attention as he walked, failing to notice the object blocking his path he collided with it and fell to the ground. Rising to his feet he readied himself to confront the thing preventing his journey, looking up he took in the latest atrocity committed against the village. Most of the village was in front of him: the blacksmith, Horwick, and his family, Bane the craftsman, Dalvic the falconeer, the village head and his wife were among them. The villagers had been crucified, hands and feet nailed to large wooden stakes, their faces displaying expressions of unimaginable pain and horror. It was indescribable seeing them in this state, no smile or actions filled with vigour, just a perpetual stillness, is this death ... No one should suffer like this. why them?