Aeyona did not like dreams very much, they rarely brought pleasantries. This dream was no different of course. It started the same as it always has, she was alone in dark silence. No sense of which way was up, the weightless feeling of drifting in the constant darkness.

  The silence was maddening. She'd scream, only to hear nothing at all. No matter how hard she stared she could not see a thing.

  After what felt like an eternity in complete nothingness, she suddenly heard a hushed whisper behind her. As she turned around she always ended up in the same place. Atop a wide stone staircase, looking down upon a darkened open field. forest lined either side of the clearing.

  Sound finally returned to her, as faint as it may be. She would have prefered the silence compared to the dim whispers and incoherent chatter that swirled in the shadows.

  The darkness only retreated far enough for her to faintly see, and it threatened to return every moment. As she looked down the tall staircase made of ancient stones, to the grey grass path that opened below, she could see a figure approaching.

  It was a small girl. The darkness following her, swirling ever closer as she approached. Unable to move, and losing sight of anything much further, she focused on trying to see who this girl was.

  Twenty years she’s had this dream. Almost her whole life and the girl has never reached her. She’s gotten closer and closer over the years. But each time the shadows reach Aeyona first.

  The whispers, and the howls of nothing and everything all at once, bombard her like a wave as the darkness collapses around her. Then the silence returns, and the nothingness is all that remains. Although sometimes, only sometimes, she did not stay alone. Aeyona cherished these few escapes.

  Suddenly the darkness vanishes, gone in a blinding flash of light. Replaced by open skies, and a sun beaming from above. She was still weightless as she floated through the air. Aeyona looked down and saw a city, full of life and commerce. Stone walls circled the coastal city, stopping only where the green lands around met the ocean waves.

  The entire city circled around a large building in the center. Aeyona was pulled towards it, Weightless but swiftly. Abruptly stopping before colliding with the earth below her.

  She floated barely above the ground and looked around. She was in a courtyard next to the cathedral epicenter of the city. Around her were people in beds sick, or wounded.

  Tending to them was a young woman, followed gracefully by a cat. Aeyona could not hear anything other than the familiar silence. Nobody could see her or hear a word she tried to say.

  The girl was human, pale with long dark hair that fell past her shoulders. She tended to the patients in the courtyard, laying a hand on them and watching as they started to look a little better in moments.

  Aeyona wondered if it was magic, even though she had not seen any kind like this before. All the healing magics she has heard of have been flashy and obvious, usually through natural or divine help.

  The cat was also comforting the wounded and sick, trotting from person to person. It was a small grey cat with a scar running down its right eye.

  Then the woman looked up. For a moment they locked eyes, and Aeyona wondered if the girl could see her. She tried to scream or cry or make any sound but nothing came out.

  Silence, always silence. Then as the girl looked away Aeyona began to float back upwards. As she rose into the sky again, the city getting smaller as it left her, she saw two figures appear in the sky below her.

  She did not have time to make out what they looked like, as they were swiftly followed by an eruption of flames. Followed by a shockwave of force exploding from them. Crushing and trampling the city below them.

  Aeyona woke up gasping. Sweat falling down the side of her face. She sat up in her makeshift tent trying to remember where she was. The only thing she could think about was the woman.

  She grabbed her pre-packed bag that she used as a pillow. Then closed her eyes, and vanished. Leaving an empty tent in the woods, in the cold early morning sunrise.

  Varidia: Crossroads of Xellon.

  Lillyth’s morning went as usual as it ever does, until She showed up. It was another spring morning. Lillyth woke up in her small home in the city of Varidia.

  It wasn’t much, but the cathedral provided it for her services since she did not get paid much, if any, for her work. She didn’t mind though, it was a place to rest.

  She had lived in this city for most of her life. Growing up in an orphanage until she was old enough to learn her gifts, and found her way to the temple.

  After getting ready for her day, she set off towards the massive cathedral in the center of town. It wasn’t a long walk, maybe ten minutes.

  The city had grown over the years she lived here. Each season bringing more trades from all over the continent, and with that, people from everywhere as well. Many of them stayed here for a while, So the streets were usually crowded.

  Winding down the streets of people, food, and merchants, she eventually made her way to the courtyard where she spent most of her days. As she arrived she felt something moving between her heels. She looked down and grinned.

  “Hey Marvel.” Lillyth said quietly to the small grey cat rubbing against her shins.

  “Meow” is all Marvel replied.

  Together they walked into the courtyard. Marvel, short for Marvelous, pranced around from person to person in the courtyard. Lillyth walked up to the nearest face she saw.

  It was a younger girl. She had blonde hair, teary blue eyes, around nine years old. Her arm was red with stained blood.

  “What happened Jess?” Lillyth asked her with a tender frown.

  “I tripped chasing my brother.” the girl replied glumly.

  “Here, let me see what i can do.” she reached out and laid her hand on the girl's arm, covering the scrape wound.

  As she did this, she focused on removing the pain and injury. She never understood exactly how it worked. She just focused on the person being better. When she removed her hands, the scrape was gone,

  “All better.” Lillyth said with a smile, as she looked the child in the eyes. “And you be more careful this time, ok?” as she hugged the girl and sent her back out of the courtyard to head home, feeling better than she had before.

  This is how her day progressed most of the time, Lillyth rarely got people with serious or dire wounds. She was grateful for that, having no idea what she could do if she did.

  As the girl left, Lillyth’s arm was slightly sore, but she paid no mind. This went on for another hour or two. Helping a man get over an illness, another, had fallen on his sword and needed mending. He was from the templar order near the courtyard.

  Not long into her day she heard commotion outside. Before she had the chance to discover the cause, she heard sudden footsteps behind her. Spinning around she found a circle of magic in the air, five feet away.

  It was hard to see through the circle, as there was blueish energy swirling around the ring and filled the center with a smoky haze.

  Suddenly a woman stepped out of the portal. A small woman with some elvish features, though she looked mostly human. Medium blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail, blue and black robes covering a darker outfit, and a backpack slung over her shoulder. She scooped up Marvel without her liking. She then looked at Lillyth and held out her other hand,

  “We have to go, right now.” the strange woman said, with absolute seriousness in her eyes that it terrified Lillyth. She also did not like others handling Marvel. She was special to Lillyth, having raised her since marvel was young and orphaned as well.

  Before she could protest, or question the new visitor, she heard more screams from outside. Then more strange noises from above. She walked closer to the portal.

  Suddenly the woman grabbed her hand and pulled them all into the swirling halo. It was merely a second or two, but it felt like much longer, of darkness, and light, swirling energy and many other spectacles all at once.

  Then when it was done, she was a far way from the courtyard of Varidia

  Outside in the courtyard, the templars suffered a different fate.

  ---

  Varidia:

  Templar training ground.

  Alkibiades’ shield grew heavy as the morning droned on. His arm was sore from the impacts of weapons deflected from it over and over again.

  He was used to these feelings though. He grew up with a shield in hand, he was one of the few templars that used one. Most of those who did were much higher ranking members of the Vinean templar order than he was. His fellow templars claimed their faith was their shields, Al did not have much of that, so he put his safety in his shield he named faith.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  It served him well on most days, today was no different. He was in the templar training yard in his home of Varidia. Where he had spent the last three hours sparring against his comrades. Currently swinging at him was an old friend of his with long sword overhead.

  A slow but powerful strike with steel shining from the sun. It was an easy attack to deflect as well. Alkibiades raised his shield and knocked the sword away as it came crashing down, causing the blade to fall away to the side. Al swung his mace in front of him, steel finding purchase in the armor of his friend, knocking the boy down and winding him.

  In the hours Al trained today, this was his tenth victory in a row. Only one templar today had managed to get a hit on him, this was not unusual. He'd been raised by the templar order, moving from city to city by cathedral orders. He spent his time learning about the Vinean religion, templar duties and dedications, as well as combat. Considering he had little care about the first one, he focused on the other two. Templars acted as guards or sometimes even soldiers for the Vinean empire, often times this led to his favorite and most suited talent, fighting.

  Alkibiades had spent his years learning how to use quite a variety of weaponry, and the proper times in combat to use them. Learning the differences in how the shape of a blade or shield can change the entire way to fight with it. As well as learning how to counter and prevent being countered with each weapon he had found.

  So naturally he would end up carrying a small arsenal with him as he went. Today he had his shield "Faith", his flat mace, a short sword on his waist, and a broad dagger strapped to his thigh. All of this was just for a light sparing day.

  The boy tried standing back up to continue the match,

  “Come on Jason, stay down this time.” Al said calmly.

  Jason groaned as he stood back up, balancing himself with his sword as he rose. He was a younger man, not yet twenty years on him. Short brown hair tangled on top of his head. The blue and white armoring of the templar order covering him. The shine of the steel chain mail under the tabard.

  “I’m gonna win one of these times Al, and I won't stay down till I do.” Jason replied through gritted teeth.

  The group of templars watching Al’s matches chuckled, as if he hadn’t beaten all of them today prior to Jason. As Al watched Jason, he was only a little surprised to find the boy charging back to him, long sword raised in the air again.

  “Damned fool.” Al muttered under his breath, as he waited for Jason to reach him.

  Closer.

  Closer and closer Jason charged as Al stood there unflinching. He knew how to block Jason's one move every time. So he waited until the blade was in the air coming down on him to move.

  Moments before the impact could tear into him, he side-stepped to the left. Pushing the blade down with his mace, He slammed his shield into Jason’s face. With a loud thud, and a groan, Jason dropped to the floor again.

  Around him there was laughter from the other boys and men in the templar order, Al looked around to them with a stern look. He had beaten most of them in nearly as easy a fashion since breakfast.

  They stopped and shuffled awkwardly.

  Suddenly Al heard a sound in the sky above him.

  He looked up in time to see two figures appear floating high in the air. The smaller of the two looked to be a darker elf In long black robes. The larger one was more horrific, he nearly had trouble believing it. The creature stood easily twice as tall as the elf. His muscled skin a dark, deep red. Talons stretched out of his hands. Large horns coming from it's head.

  He did not have long to see more details. For swiftly after they arrived, the monster started glowing brightly as black smoke and red flames began to curl under it. Alkibiades only realized what was happening when it was too late.

  “Take cover!” Al shouted as he tried to run towards Jason who was still trying to stand back up.

  He nearly made it there too. He felt the heat before he heard the sound of the blast wave. Al dropped to his knee and raised his shield above his body. He felt force stronger than any blow he had faced before. As waves of fire wrapped around him, hotter than the Templars forges, he was sure this was the end for him.

  After a few of the longest moments of his life, the waves of crashing flames ended. As well as the immense force pressing on his shield, shoving him into the ground. Sweat dripped from every inch of him, his armor singed and hot to the touch.

  He groaned as sore muscles protested every movement. Slowly, he pushed himself up. Only to see the wreckage around him. He was standing in the middle of a crater. Though it was shallow, only a few feet into the ground, it spanned a hundred yards in any direction.

  He could see far past the crater now. The buildings that once stood were nothing but blackened, smoldering rubble. The entire cathedral that housed the templars turned to dust.

  Bodies, hundreds of bodies. People whose lives he had sworn to protect, lay amongst the broken buildings. He heard a sound behind him, as he spun around he saw his brothers. Broken and burned men of the order lay around him. One of the bodies began to move.

  “I knew you wouldn't stay down.” Al said with hope.

  As the boy slowly started to rise. Al knew something was wrong before he saw Jason's broken face and cold white eyes.

  Alkibiades raised his weapon again and stood his ground. He watched the boy he'd known for years shamble towards him. Burned, broken, mindless. Then it started moving faster, stumbling to Al with surprising speed. Al readied his hammer waiting for him to get within range, as soon as he did he swung the hammer with all of his might. It met the dead with a sickening thud, and the resistance gave way as the hammer cleared through the abdomen of the boy.

  Jason's body fell quicker than it rose, but did not stop moving. It clawed at Al's legs trying to tear at anything it could grasp.

  “You had to get back up..” Al sighed with regret, as he brought the hammer down onto the charred skull.

  He heard more noises behind him and dread filled his body. As he spun around, yet again, he was met with more of his brothers of the order. Broken, burned, and very much dead just like the boy. All of them rising slowly and clumsily.

  Far past them was a figure near the center of the crater. A dark figure of elven features.

  A rage filled Alkibiades, as he charged the intruder. Calling for him to halt.

  The elven man stood un-moving, staring at Al with what seemed like mild curiosity.

  He cleaved his hammer through the nearest body in his path as he took off towards the dark elf. More and more fallen were standing back up now.

  Another body stood in Al’s way. He raised his shield and lowered his head into a charge. War hammer in hand, he slammed into the zombie with all of his weight. The undead brother of the order fell back a couple yards, chest caved in from the blow. Alkibiades walked over to it and let his hammer drop onto its head with a sickening thud.

  He stared down the elf who still had not moved. There was a moment of tension as the two locked eyes from the distance. Then the Elf raised his dagger, pommel facing Al. As it started to glow with sickening energy Al raised his shield expecting the worst.

  He felt the waves of force barrel past him on either side, shortly followed by the sound of bodies hitting the charred dirt behind him. He need not look to realize what had happened.

  “Why kill what you created?” Al asked, puzzled and doubtful, as they closed the gap between them.

  “No surprise. A man of the faith, so eager to blame an elf” the dark gray skinned elf replied in an exhausted low voice.

  “It's not faith, they had faith, and look where it got them.”

  Al waved his hands towards his fallen brothers to prove his point.

  “no, it's simple math. Moments ago-” Al bashed his shield into a zombie that interrupted him. “ A darkened elf and a monstrous … thing, blew up the whole damn city. And when it’s over, I see you.”

  This seemed to get the elve's attention. Al swung his hammer into the corpse that was now rising back up again. He frowned at the templar armor it wore, and the familiar face with it. He looked around, he had not realized the gathering around them that had formed while he focused on the elf.

  All around the crater, burned and broken remains of the city's inhabitants were closing in on them. Only a few were close enough to be an immediate threat, but they would not be safe another minute.

  “You say this is not your doing?” Al asked the elf again, holding back the tension in his voice.

  He then noticed an undead making its way for the elven man, swiftly behind him. Al went to call out a warning, but in an instant the zombie was swallowed up by the ground itself mid stride. As if it fell in a hole, forever lost.

  “No, If I wanted you dead, you would be. I am curious about this monster you saw though. We may need to speak somewhere quieter.” The mysterious elf said calmly, as if this was another day for him. As he spoke he walked towards Al, and another of the lost souls of Varidia came rushing towards him.

  The elf did not pay it any attention, as it did not get close to him before it was struck from above by a rapidly falling zombie. Al assumed it was the prior corpse as they collided into a gory grave. The mass of undead were beginning to pile up in waves of death. More and more were getting too close for comfort.

  “Well, any chance you can get us out of here?” Al asked.

  “I believe so, although it will be a moment” he replied.

  “We don’t have a moment man.” Al chuckled nervously.

  “Then i will make one.” the elf said, his tone darker, and more worrisome.

  As the words left his mouth, shadows flickered from his eyes as he thrust his hand towards the nearest group of invaders. Suddenly they began to darken. Shadows began to form and cling around them, tearing at them until it consumed them. Then the mass of shadows and swirling energy began to grow, until it took some semblance to a sentient form.

  The maelstrom of darkness swirled and spun together moving as a whole. It made its way, eerily silent to the closest target and began to dissolve and wither away anything it touched, only to carry on to its next victim when it was done.

  Alkibiades made a mental note to stay far away from that thing. Although he did not have very far to go, as to the right of him a group of undead had made it to the center with them.

  Al raised his shield, once again, and deflected the first battering of burned fists and broken arms. After shoving them back with sheer force, he backpedaled a step. Winding his arm back, he threw his hammer with all of is might. It sailed straight into the skull of a incoming zombie, causing it to fall backwards and let the hammer bounce a few feet further.

  Al then pulled out his short sword, relieved to be holding something lighter for a moment.

  With one last glance to the elf to see him focusing intently on his dagger, he readied himself against the three more charging for him.

  When his targets got within range, he lunged forward. Shield first, he bashed the one on the left, stumbling it onto the ground.

  Al then stepped to the right to impale the right sided threat. It sunk in to the hilt. Then he dragged his blade upwards until both halves of the corpse fell with a disgusting sound.

  Al took one more step back, cleaving a wide arc with his sword. Edged steel finding purchase in the middle zombie, and exiting through the left one who had just stood back up in time.

  By the time he had finished with the first wave, more were already nearly on him. Swinging and tearing through the oncoming swarm, he moved back towards the elf who was still focused and unflinching.

  “It’s been a moment” Al informed him, growing more tired and anxious with every passing second.

  The elf said nothing. Only blank distant stares as shadows began to form, swirling around him and his ornate dagger.

  Al fought off another zombie. Then another.

  Two more.

  He knew a few more seconds and his moment was up.

  Then from the other side of the swarm came a new voice, rough and angry.

  “Get down, ya fuckers!” followed by an exaggerated, questionable groan and almost maniacal laughter. Suddenly a roaring flame erupted through the mass of undead, burning through them like a stampede.

  Al threw his shield up again to yet another wave of fire today.

  This one seemed to turn, and aim away from him and the elf. Clearing a side of zombies, only to start filling in with more. Al got back to swinging the hammer he had retrieved while defending the elf.

  A few more questionable groans were followed by small explosions and laughter. Out of the flames came a short dwarven man with bushy red-brown hair and beard. He was nearly naked, wearing only dirty underwear. With chains around his wrists and covered in blood, he made his way to them.

  “I hope ya have a plan! I didn’t come here just to die with you shites.” the dwarf said, as he began conjuring more flames to bombard the continuing mass. The flames seemed to almost burn away the blood that dripped from his various wounds as he summoned them.

  Just in time, there was a small shock wave. As shadows erupted from the quiet elf, and began to form an elongated circle before them. He waved his hand towards the newly formed portal and said,

  “Lead the way faithless.”

  “About damn time!” the dwarf replied, as he let his flames dissipate and stepped in without hesitation. Abruptly, there was no trace of the short pyromaniac who saved them.

  Al nervously stepped into the swirling almost-circle of shadows and emptiness.

  Within an instant the world was gone.

  All sounds, feeling, sense of time, it all left him.

  For the longest second of his life there was only darkness.